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<DIV align=center><IMG height=74 alt="ARTICLE 19"
src="cid:A73BF50D13AC43A9AE51A2D712367851@BNNRCLAPTOP1" width=116 border=0>
<BR><BR><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS',Verdana">PRESS
RELEASE</SPAN> </DIV><BR>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><!--<span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS",Verdana; font-size:80%; font-style:italic;'>For immediate release - 27 May 2011</span>
<br><br>-->
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">For immediate release - 27 May 2011</DIV><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 140%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px; TEXT-TRANSFORM: capitalize; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS',Verdana; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center>G8-The Deauville Declaration on Internet Fails to Recognise
Importance of Human Rights Including Freedom of Expression</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">London
27.05.11: The Declaration on Internet, developed by the G8 leaders at the
Deauville Summit, fails to properly recognize states’ international human rights
obligations on freedom of expression and the right to information. We call upon
G8 leaders to express a clear political commitment to champion freedom of
expression and the right to information on the internet, through G8 agreements
and national policies.</DIV>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The Declaration on “Renewed Commitment for
Freedom and Democracy” was released by the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) on
27 May. It includes 19 paragraphs on internet related issues and
principles.<BR><BR>“<EM>The internet is more than ‘a helpful tool’ for citizens,
as stated in the Declaration. It is a central platform for exercising freedom of
expression and opinion in the modern world</EM>,” says Dr Agnes Callamard,
ARTICLE 19 Executive Director. “<EM>Freedom of expression on the internet must
be fully recognised as a core principle</EM>”, continues Dr
Callamard.<BR><BR>ARTICLE 19 welcomes the Declaration’ assertion in paragraph 9
that “openness, transparency and freedom” along with non-discrimination and fair
competition are ”key to its development and success”. We believe, however, that
protection of human rights should be recognised as a core principle above all
others rather than only included in a framework to be balanced with rule of law
and protection of intellectual property. <BR><BR>The Declaration’s assertion in
paragraph 10 that “the exercise of individual rights and responsibility have to
be achieved simultaneously” is particularly concerning. In asserting this, the
Declaration ignores the international legal obligations that states owe under
international human rights treaties, in particular the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (“ICCPR”). Human rights, as protected under
international law, do not place obligations on citizens. <BR><BR>In addition,
ARTICLE 19 believes that paragraph 11 on freedom of expression fails to fully
recognise the international commitments that states must implement. Although the
Declaration states that “freedom of opinion, expression, information, assembly
and association must be safeguarded on the Internet as elsewhere”, it fails to
acknowledge that under international human rights law, restrictions on freedom
of expression and the flow of information – including via the Internet – should
only be applied in exceptional and limited circumstances. Any restrictions on
Internet content therefore must be set clearly in law, pursue a legitimate aim,
and be proven as necessary and proportionate. The Declaration only criticises
“arbitrary or indiscriminate” censorship, which is weaker than international law
and would allow many forms of censorship currently being conducted by countries
such as Iran and China. <BR><BR>ARTICLE 19 is also particularly concerned with
paragraph 15 which appears to endorse new restrictions on internet speech by
increasing enforcement of intellectual property such as through the
controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and domestic
“three-strikes laws” which fail to fully recognise - and often violate - the
right to freedom of expression. <BR><BR>ARTICLE 19 also notes that while the
Declaration positively recognises the importance of the multi-stakeholder model
of Internet governance, the e-G8 Forum held prior to the main meeting was almost
entirely made of up governments and corporations and few civil society groups
were invited. Similarly, the ACTA negotiations have been held entirely in secret
with no public participation. <BR><BR>ARTICLE 19 calls on the G8 leaders to
recognise that freedom of expression and the free flow of information should not
be limited through restrictions on the Internet unless in accordance with
international human rights law. <BR>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>ENDS<BR></STRONG>
<DIV align=left> </DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN-TOP: 15px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px; TEXT-TRANSFORM: capitalize; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS',Verdana">NOTES
TO EDITORS: </DIV>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">• For media inquiries, please contact Mona
Samari, Senior Press Officer, +44 (0) 7515 828 939 <A
href="mailto:mona@article19.org">mona@article19.org</A>.<BR>• For more
information please contact: David Banisar, Senior Legal Counsel, ARTICLE 19, <A
href="mailto:banisar@article19.org">banisar@article19.org</A>, +44 207 324 2500.
<BR>• The full text of the Declaration is available here: <A
href="http://www.article19.org/alists/lt.php?id=cEkGUFBWDlVRTQ4BD04OCAo%3D">http://www.g20-g8.com/g8-g20/g8/english/live/news/renewed-commitment-for-freedom-and-democracy.1314.html
</A></DIV><BR><BR>
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align=center><STRONG><IMG alt="mini logo"
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 80%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS',Verdana">ARTICLE 19 is
an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect and
promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech. For
more information on ARTICLE 19 please visit www.article19.org or <A
href="http://www.article19.org/alists/lt.php?id=cEkGUFBWDlVWTQ4BD04OCAo%3D">follow
article19org on Twitter</A>.</DIV><BR>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 80%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS',Verdana"
align=center>Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA, United
Kingdom<BR>Tel: +44 20 7324 2500 - Fax: +44 20 7490 0566 - <A
href="mailto:info@article19.org">info@article19.org</A> - <A
href="http://www.article19.org/alists/lt.php?id=cEkGUFBWDlVXTQ4BD04OCAo%3D">www.article19.org</A>
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